THE work of emergency services in and around Malvern was celebrated when town mayor Cynthia Palmer held her civic service.

Great Malvern Priory was the venue for the service, which featured music from the Rock Choir and Malvern Hills District Brass Band and speeches from representatives of each of the services.

Cllr Palmer said: "In the morning before my service, I had the honour of attending the re-dedication ceremony for the grave of PC Howard Overton in Great Malvern Cemetery.

"The police team, led by Sergeant Alex Denny, put in an immense amount of work to ensure that PC Overton’s memory and legacy would be remembered, and I would like to say an extra thank-you to PC Overton’s family who travelled to Malvern to witness the re-dedication and installation of his new headstone.

"I feel that we were able to truly celebrate these services and the work carried out by them. I am also delighted that during the service, thanks to everyone’s generosity, an extra £425.56 was raised for ARCOS, my charity for the year."